A scoring system was created for the selection of drugs for primary health
care. The scoring system was based on the criteria similar to those used to
compile the World Health Organization Model List of Essential Drugs. Suggested
scoring criteria include efficacy, safety, cost for a course of therapy,
compliance, multiple use, and SEOALA (storage, ease or administration, and
local availability). Drugs are assigned points in each category and are
selected based on their score for each criterion and their overall score. Data
for scoring drugs can be obtained from textbooks, the British National
Formulary, and other reference materials. Based on the overall scores, drugs
can be compared and selected for inclusion on an essential drugs list or use in
primary health care. The scoring system is flexible and can be adapted to meet
the needs of different countries. For example, the cost of a course of therapy
could have a maximum point value of five in a very poor country but only a
maximum point value of two in a wealthier country. Weighting criteria
differently allows each country to select drugs based on the criteria that are
the most important to it. The researchers conclude that the system was
effectively used in Kenya and could be a valuable tool for other countries.
They also believe that a similar system could be created and used by health
care providers to determine if a drug should be used for a particular patient.
(Abstract by Flannery Bowman, 2013